My Turn: When Christmas meant a Beatles album

If you are a baby boomer like me, your Christmas memories probably include something about the Beatles. The band's Christmas tradition in the United States kicked off in 1965 with the release of one of their greatest singles: "We Can Work It Out" and "Day Tripper." The picture sleeve (remember them?) of the 45-rpm single depicted the boys looking cold and winter weary in their black coats, but the music was both raucous and reflective, perfectly capturing the essence of the band.

Then came "Rubber Soul," an album so good each of my sisters insisted on having her own copy. So did I. The music was more acoustic than electric, the title was mysterious and the songs absolutely gorgeous, especially John Lennon's poignant "In My Life" and Paul McCartney's lovely "Michelle," the Grammy Song of the Year.

At the end of 1967, the Beatles released "Magical Mystery Tour," and, of course, it sounded nothing like their previous records.

I remember looking through the album's picture book by the lights of the Christmas tree, trying to make sense of the strange photos taken from the movie of the same name. This is a record I've grown to appreciate, especially side two - "Hello Goodbye," "Strawberry Fields," "Penny Lane," "Baby You're A Rich Man" and "All You Need Is Love" on one side of an album! That's a career for most bands.

The ultimate Fab Four Christmas present had to be "The Beatles," the two-record opus commonly known as "The White Album." The kind of gift that had kids calling each other on Christmas Day 1968 with a million questions. Why was the cover blank? Why had the Beatles stopped shaving? What the heck was "Revolution 9" about? How come "Back In The USSR" sounded like The Beach Boys?

Years later, people still have questions about the album Bono of U2 called "the complete encyclopedia of rock 'n' roll." He's right. There's just about every style of music, from the country of Ringo's "Don't Pass Me By" to the acid rock of Paul's "Helter Skelter." "Dear Prudence" might be the prettiest melody John Lennon ever wrote while George's "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" left no doubt of his songwriting strength.

"The White Album" was the hot topic when I returned in January 1969 to Raymond Elementary School in Fullerton. The Beatles were at the top of their game, but something seemed off. We heard about their surprise rooftop concert in London and later the rumors of their impending breakup. When "Abbey Road" came out in September, everyone agreed it was their best album ever. I personally think it's the greatest album of all time. It was also the last one they recorded together and a few months later the band imploded.

Although it broke my heart, I knew deep inside they were doing the right thing by splitting up in 1970. The Beatles as a band belonged to the '60s and the '60s belonged to the Beatles. Their music, however, remains timeless.

With so much holiday cheer in their history, its surprising to note the Beatles never recorded any Christmas music, unless one digs a bit deeper into their catalog and discovers the existence of "The Beatles Christmas Album." This LP was made available exclusively to members of the Beatles' fan clubs in 1970. It featured quirky bits composed of song parodies and musical skits that showed the band at their most unguarded.

You might find a copy on eBay. It's not available on iTunes. Thankfully, everything else you could want by the Beatles is now available digitally. As the Beatles would say: Happy Christmas!

J.A. Mock is a writer and 15-year resident of Playa del Rey

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